Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps has experienced one of the steepest second-weekend drops in recent MCU history, leaving many to wonder if this will ultimately end up the latest Marvel flop.
After a solid opening weekend haul of $117.6 million domestically, the film cratered by 66% in its sophomore frame, earning just $40 million over the August 1-3 weekend. This brings its domestic total to around $198.4 million, with global earnings stretching to approximately $370 million after two weeks.
Julia Garner as the Silver Surfer in The Fantastic Four: First Steps – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
While the movie has held onto the No. 1 spot at the box office, the sharp decline—far steeper than comparable superhero films like Superman (which dropped a more modest 53% in its second weekend)—has ignited a firestorm of reactions from influencers and online commentators.
Many are melting down in real-time on X, blaming everything from audience “stupidity” to superhero fatigue, while others defend the film amid cries of impending doom for the MCU.
The drop is particularly brutal when viewed in context. Early estimates pegged the film’s Thursday previews at $24.4 million, edging out Superman’s $22.5 million, suggesting strong initial buzz for the star-studded reboot.
The Human Torch and Silver Surfer in The Fantastic Four: First Steps – Youtube, IGN
Yet, the film faced heavy front-loading, with a 42% dip from Friday to Saturday in its opening weekend—higher than recent MCU entries like Thor: Love and Thunder (40%) or Deadpool & Wolverine (36%).
Overseas, the picture is mixed: solid in Europe and Latin America, but disastrous in Asia, marking the worst-ever MCU performance in China and Korea. Analysts point to a production budget likely in the $200-250 million range (though exact figures remain undisclosed) plus another $100 million+ for marketing, meaning the film needs at least $600-750 million worldwide to break even.
Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm in The Fantastic Four: First Steps – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
This precipitous fall has influencers across the spectrum losing their cool, turning X into a battlefield of despair, denial, and finger-pointing as influencers battle over whether Fantastic Four is headed for a flop.
Here’s a roundup of some of the most heated meltdowns.
John Rocha’s Audience Intelligence Rant
Film critic and podcaster John Rocha (@TheRochaSays) didn’t hold back, lambasting moviegoers for preferring what he called “phenomenally STUPID” films like Jurassic World: Rebirth (which has grossed $731 million worldwide) over what he perceives to be quality superhero fare.
Some people won’t want to hear this, but it might be time to stop putting ALL the blame on studios or creatives for underperforming movies. It might be time to start looking at the intelligence level of moviegoers.
If a phenomenally STUPID film like #JurassicWorld Rebirth can… https://t.co/tbULS6ZnKu
— John Rocha (@TheRochaSays) August 2, 2025
“If a phenomenally STUPID film like #JurassicWorld Rebirth can crush films like #Superman and #FantasticFour at the box office, then something might be wrong with all of us and NOT the studios or the creatives,” he posted. His thread sparked over 3,500 likes and hundreds of replies, with many accusing him of elitism.
No block of people no matter how massive is “never wrong”. That’s idiotic to say.
Audiences in numerous arenas have been wrong in a myriad of ways for centuries of our Earth’s existence.
The judgment of human beings from something small like movies to something big like…
— John Rocha (@TheRochaSays) August 3, 2025
One user fired back: “The audience is never wrong. The story producers are always to blame if the project fails.” Rocha doubled down, arguing that no group is “never wrong” and citing historical examples of poor collective judgment.
Hunter Bolding’s Box Office Obsession Tirade
Hunter Bolding (@HunterBVideo), a journalist and critic for That Hashtag Show, went nuclear on the very concept of tracking earnings.
A post by journalist Hunter Bolding on the Fantastic Four box office – X: @HunterBVideo
Quoting Variety’s report on the 80% Friday drop (from $58.5 million opening day to $11.7 million), he raged: “The obsession with the box office is killing movies and creativity. WHO. GIVES. A. F**K. HOW. MUCH. THE. MOVIE. MAKES.”
The post racked up over 100,000 views, with replies schooling him on economics.
Bolding’s frustration echoes a broader sentiment among some critics weary of financial metrics overshadowing artistic merit, but it highlights the denial phase of the meltdown—ignoring that studios like Disney rely on profits to fund future projects.
MyTimeToShineHello’s Double Dose of Despair
Popular scoop account MyTimeToShineHello (@MyTimeToShineH) posted twice in quick succession, amplifying the panic.
This is worse than I thought, this could be another flop for Marvel 😬 https://t.co/yGsCnyy4Tu
— MyTimeToShineHello (@MyTimeToShineH) August 2, 2025
First: “This is worse than I thought, this could be another flop for Marvel 😬,” garnering 770 likes and debates over whether $500 million worldwide would still qualify as a “flop.” Replies blamed “wokeness,” Pedro Pascal’s political comments alienating audiences, and post-Endgame MCU fatigue for the potential Fantastic Four flop.
But seriously how do you explain this, like what happened? https://t.co/yGsCnyy4Tu
— MyTimeToShineHello (@MyTimeToShineH) August 3, 2025
Then, in a follow-up, he said: “But seriously how do you explain this, like what happened?”
The account’s posts encapsulate the confusion and alarm rippling through fan circles.
Marvel Critics Mock Film’s Failure
It wasn’t all Marvel fan influencers melting down. Many prominent Marvel critics from social media and YouTube were quick to point out that Fantastic Four was potentially yet another Marvel flop.
Yellow Flash’s Apocalyptic Proclamation
YouTuber and comic critic Yellow Flash (@YellowFlashGuy) declared the end times for Marvel.
Marvel is DOOMED! Fantastic Four officially BOMBS making it the 3rd MCU flop of 2025!https://t.co/Ex75LE4ftR pic.twitter.com/he6YSJVZCD
— Flash (@YellowFlashGuy) August 4, 2025
“Marvel is DOOMED! Fantastic Four officially BOMBS making it the 3rd MCU flop of 2025!” This was accompanied by a YouTube link to his video breakdown, the post has sparked debates in replies about whether this signals the MCU’s collapse.
Nerdrotic’s Sarcastic “Best Flop” Slam
Gary Buechler, aka Nerdrotic (@Nerdrotics), a prominent YouTuber known for his Friday Night Tights streams, took a snarky swipe while quoting box office analyst Exhibitor Relations Co.
Fantastic Four is the best Disney Marvel flop of the year https://t.co/DY4BVx9H7J
— Nerdrotic (@Nerdrotics) August 3, 2025
“Fantastic Four is the best Disney Marvel flop of the year,” he said. His post mocks the film’s performance relative to other 2025 MCU duds like Thunderbolts and Captain America: Brave New World.
Film Junkee’s Spider-Man Distraction Theory
YouTuber and streamer Film Junkee (@TheFilmJunkee) accused Marvel of deflection tactics by sharing the explosion of coverage coming out of the Spider-Man: Brand New Day set over the last few days.
Marvel Studios be like…
DON’T LOOK AT THE FANTASTIC FOUR BOX OFFICE DROP. LOOK OVER HERE!!! pic.twitter.com/e9jyTFpl15
— Film Junkee (@TheFilmJunkee) August 3, 2025
Marvel Studios be like… DON’T LOOK AT THE FANTASTIC FOUR BOX OFFICE DROP. LOOK OVER HERE!!!” Paired with images of Tom Holland from the set of the new Sony film, the post implies the studio is shifting focus to upcoming announcements amid the cratering earnings.
Matt Walsh’s Character Critique
Conservative commentator Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) sparked a chain reaction with his dismissive take.
The Fantastic Four are a really stretchy guy, a guy made of rocks, a guy who lights on fire, and a girl who does whatever she does. These are literally characters that a six year old would invent. You just can’t keep making movies around these kinds of characters without people… https://t.co/XxLWtcNH9g
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) August 3, 2025
“The Fantastic Four are a really stretchy guy, a guy made of rocks, a guy who lights on fire, and a girl who does whatever she does,” he said. “These are literally characters that a six year old would invent. You just can’t keep making movies around these kinds of characters without people getting bored. And that seems to finally be happening.”
Will Fantastic Four Flop at the Box Office?
These fresh reactions demonstrate the polarized discourse: from gleeful “I told you so” takedowns to defensive explanations.
The cast of Fantastic Four: First Steps – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
As the film limps toward a potential $600M global finish line, meltdowns from influencers suggest no quick recovery for Marvel’s online reputation. If anything, expect more as numbers finalize.
Will Fantastic Four be a flop for Disney Marvel? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
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